Slow Day in Cat Country

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:01 pm

Must be a slow day, or everyone has left for the long weekend. The loss by EWU surprises me and I am anxious for the outcome of the Montana Maine game. It is just preseason gitters, but I am as nervious as a w---- in church. I really hope the Bobcats do well this season. Sometimes I think all the ingredients are there for a great season then I read all the stuff on Thursday scrimmage and I start to question the Cats talent and depth. Am I way off base? I am confident we can beat Adams State but what about Cal Poly and all the teams that come after that. Is this going to be a fun season or a very long season. Just spouting off, it must be a slow day in my office. GO CATS

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:32 pm

Well, as I assume you are well aware, the Cats usually get off to a slow, slow start. And with the way things are shaping up this preseason, it appears we will have to do it like we've been doing it - make the playoffs by doing good in conference play. I was/am hoping we can start off strong for once and be good from start to finish, but the most important thing is that we get that auto bid.

We have the potential to be a great team this year, but the question is, can we pull our s*** together, or will this be another uphill climb year?

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:41 am

I am in agreement with Celticat, the Cats start out slow and build one hell of a head of steam during conferance play. As a fan it is very tough on the blood pressure. I am thinking it will be differant this year and I think the opener will tell the tail. Hopefully we will see the depth in this years team next saturday. I am anxious to see the passing game and how the red headed houdini can pass to a talented recieving corp. The secondary is a concern but I am confident that a star will appear by the time conferance play starts. After the UM win this last saturday they are now ranked #2, BUT the CATS rose to number 12 this week and did not even have to play a game! That should tell us something about this team. The people in the know see a stength in the big picture that we as fans do not see, we as fans are trying to mico manage every detail and forget about the big picture. Its going to be an exciting season and next year we will even be better.

BozoneCat · Post by **BozoneCat** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:29 am

I vehemently disagree that this year's team will start slow. We have a reputation as a team that does start slow, but what is that based on? The last 2 years! I think most would agree that we were ready and roaring towards a strong early season last year after demolishing Gardner-Webb, and then Mr. O'Brien had his little run-in with the law and threw the team into an ugly slump. You certainly would be hard-pressed to blame the team for not playing to their potential for the month after that happened. When they finally shook off the effects of that, they played very well the rest of the year. So, this "reputation" is based solely on the first season, which was really a combination of two seasons - the first season, with Tyler Thomas at the helm, and the second, when Travis took over the QB spot and went 5-2 the rest of the way.

I think we shake that rep this year. We will demolish Adams State, and gain valuable experience for the players who are out with injury (not that they themselves couldn't use the playing time/experience). I think we get rid of a big monkey the next week, we will finally beat Cal Poly in a game that I doubt will be closer than 14 points. We will most likely lose to CSU, but I think the game will still be up for grabs in the 4th quarter. We go into conference play 2-1, and we kick the snot out of Idaho State. They have no running game, and our front 7 will beat Hetherington into a pulp. I think this gives us a great start at 3-1. After that, it is way too early to say. Defense will again lead this team, but I think our offense will be much more potent this year, even with Bailey calling the plays. I like either Domineck or Milton at RB, and I think Guinn and Gatewood give us a great 1-2 combination ala Hill and Adams. We also have a great deal of depth at receiver, where Alley and Roosevelt should have big years.

I guess I do have one prediction for later in the season: No doubt in my mind we beat the friz at Washington-Bobcat Stadium. Bobcat faithful will again take over Missoula and we will pound the friz just like we have done the last 2 years. This time, no CO-title!

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:36 am

Cats started slow the year they went 0-11.

BozoneCat · Post by **BozoneCat** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:46 am

Well, our "reputation" is basically based on the last 2 years. Before that, pretty much every season started slowly...

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 11:10 am

Bozonecat, yes I feel this year we will start out of the shoot with a bang and this weekend will set the tone. I still feel in the past couple of seasons we have started out slow. Kramer has not had the offensive talent in the past that he has this year and the first few games were a struggle to establish a game plan for the rest of the season. However this year is differant, Kramer has a very good selection of talent and we will get to see the depth of this talent on Saturday. The 04 season will not start out slow. I agree we will blow out Adams, but we will get to see a lot of players from the ddepth chart. Cal Poly will be a tussle and a nail biter, but Kramer/Lulay and company will get the job done. Idaho State should be a cake walk, CSU will be fun to watch but not much chance for a win. Weber is homecoming and Kramer will not allow this team to lose the homecoming game, that is a real sore spot with him.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:54 pm

Wow! I wish I were that optimistic. I also think we’ll be 4 and 1 after 5 games but I’ll be surprised if we beat Cal Poly by 14 – that option they run always seems to give us fits. We’ll beat them by 8 with special teams playing a huge role. And Idaho state? I wouldn’t expect us to blow them out – we don’t have a super good record in domes and turf. I am super pumped for the season to start and I am 99% convinced that our offense will have a breakout year!!! I’m looking for Lulay to have 25+ touchdown passes, starting off with 5 of them this Saturday!

P.S. After the big opening weekend, I have to say the team I fear most right now is NAU. Eastern faltered badly and it looks like I may have missed my guess on them being contenders for the BS title this year. We’ll beat them handily this year in Bobcat stadium, and extract a little revenge from their comeback win last year. Then, of course, we’ll beat the Grizzlies at Wash\Griz. I wonder if this is the year Kramer announces before the game that we will beat them. (Remember earlier he said that the Griz were still kings of the Big Sky until you can go into Wash\Griz expecting a win!). But NAU, I mean we haven’t beaten the mat Walkup Skydome since 1979. I’m hoping Kramer will have found a way by then to have us on fire going in there, jumping out to a 21 point lead before they know what hit them.

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:50 pm

I agree that Lulay is going to have a breakout year. I think Kramer was hoping for a little more weight on the O line, but he will work with what he has and Lulay will build his confidence. If Lulay can feel comfortable in the pocket he will be just awsome. He has the recieving arsnal, some solid running backs and we already know what he is like on his own. Lulay can run the ball as well as any RB. He is a good leader and a very smart QB, hard to find in D1A football. GO CATS. See ya Saturday it will be a fantastic fall day in Bobcat Stadium.

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:27 pm

catatac called it. Cats dome record is nothing. I don't recall a Kramer-coached Cat team winnning in a dome. Even with out Krames, the dome record is horrid.

I don't think it is reasonable to assume that the Cats beat ISU unquestionably. The new, and improved, ISU program now has a dome-field avantage for the first time in about 25 years. They will play everyone tough at Pokey. The Cats can consider them fortunate to simply win this year.

The same can be said about NAU. The last time the Cats won there, Doug Flutie still wasn't in the NFL.

There's no question that the friz game will be close again. Of course I'm optimistic of a victory. Especially because the friz will again experience a rash of injuries due to Hauck's propensity for driving the players into the dirt for the first 9 months of the year. As tough as Ochs is, the way he played Saturday, he'll be fortunate to be available for conference. Disney is the best pure passer around - in practice!

You would think that after falling to Poly for the umpteenth time in row, that the Cat staff will have finally figured out how to defend their option using the Cat's standard defensive package - but who knows. According to those that know more than I, the Cat D just isn't designed for that option offense.

And as far as crushing Adams this weekend - it should be noted that several of the key players who would make that happen are doubtful, including Kahiam, Sullivan, and Gatewood.